Her gaze moved to each computer monitor before returning to Mark. “It’s not my first day on the job, I can handle it.” Would he ever trust she could do the job even though she was a woman? She doubted it, but what mattered was Ty and Raja thought she could. “Is that where the prisoner is being held?”
“How…” He frowned.
“I ran into Adam on my way to change, he mentioned there was a prisoner on the grounds. So, is that where he is?” She glanced to area four to be certain there was no change in activity. She’d have to watch that section very carefully while on duty. They wouldn’t have a prisoner in their compound, especially not one of their own, unless it had something to do with the rogue gang they had been tracking.
He stepped toward the door, his dark shadowed eyes indicating he was clearly ready for his shift to end and to get some sleep. “Yes, now be sure to pay close attention to the monitors.”
“I got it.” She saluted as he closed the door.
Peace. She sank onto the chair, her gaze scrolling over the monitors and then returning to area four again. Who do they have in that old abandoned cabin? It couldn’t be Pierce, the leader of the rogues. There was no way Ty or Raja would stand for him to be that close to their mates, not after he single-handedly killed Tabitha’s and then Bethany’s parents, and nearly killed Bethany when she was kidnapped and used as ransom to gain Tabitha. To her Alpha and Lieutenant, whatever information could be gained would never outweigh the risk to their mates. They were good men and would protect not only their mates, but the whole clan, regardless of the danger to themselves.
Movement in area three caught her eye, drawing her attention from area four for a brief moment. Taber.
Her core moistened with desire just watching him stroll across the grounds. Ever since their encounter earlier, her body longed for his touch, to feel his fingers running over her skin. It had been too long since she had the touch of another, but then she remembered why.
Betrayal.
Only once had she given her heart and body to another, and in the end it nearly killed her. She vowed to never make that mistake again, and she’d be damn certain she wouldn’t with a bear. Filthy creatures.
Chapter Two
Honey in hand and one in his sweatshirt pocket for later, Taber crossed the grounds, determined to check on the progress of their prisoner before crashing for the night.
He swallowed a squeeze of honey and then using his forefinger, he pressed the button on his ear to transmit a signal to the guards, as well as command central. “Taber, area four.”
His earbud crackled. “Approved.”
It was her voice! That woman—his destined mate—he spilled coffee on. Even with a hint of anger lacing her words as she yelled at him earlier for staining her sweater, she sounded like an angel to Taber.
Too bad, she’s a freaking tigress.
He had nothing against tigers. He considered the Alaskan Tigers part of his family or he wouldn’t be helping them with their fight against the rogues. Though, he’d rather be home in Nome catching salmon in his stream and searching for a sow mate of his own. Not a tigress…
He shook his head, pushing her from his thoughts, before opening the cabin door. The West Virginia Alpha, Jinx, leaned against the wall with his cowboy hat riding low on his head, effectively shielding his eyes from view. Next to Jinx, Korbin stood guard, his body stiff and arms crossed behind him—ready for action.
“How’s it going?” Taber shut the door behind him.
“He’s not giving anything up yet. Raja just sedated him for the night. Everyone needs rest. Ty and Raja selected Korbin and a couple other guards to take watch,” Jinx explained.
Raja exited the adjoining room. “I thought you would have turned in.”
Taber waved the bottle of honey. “Honey run and I thought I’d check the progress before I did.”
“Jinx, you mind waiting until Thomas gets out here?” When Jinx nodded, Raja turned back to Taber. “Come on, I’ll fill you in on the way.”
They stepped out into the cold night air. Snowflakes dotted the air, landing in Taber’s hair and on his cheeks. Before long, the snow now coating the ground would be covered with another fresh layer. Not that it bothered Taber. He lived in Alaska for the cold weather. Snowy terrain was second nature to his kind, and with the snow forcing humans inside they didn’t have to worry about prying eyes catching them when they shifted.
“Victor’s not giving anything up. He doesn’t believe we have any leads. Connor was able to add a few red flags to Victor Senior’s passport, so he didn’t make it through customs, and is now on his way back to Russia.” Raja stared into the night’s sky for a moment. “Being the head of the shifter terrorist group in Russia isn’t going to stop him from trying to get back in the states if he wants, especially if he suspects someone is onto him. He would have the same connections we have, and could remove those red flags without too much hassle.”
“If he’s not telling us anything, what now? Want me to take a crack at him?”
“Not yet. Ty and I will go at him in the morning. If he still doesn’t give us the information we need, we’ll find other means of making him talk, but we have to be quick. The longer he’s here, the more dangerous it is for the clan.”
Taber knew Raja was concerned about Tabitha and Bethany. The original plan had been to detain Victor somewhere outside the compound, away from the mates, women, and children. “We’ll keep them safe.” Taber hoped to relive Raja’s concerns. “We’ve already doubled the guards on duty.” Taber sighed when they neared the warmth of Raja’s quarters, his body screamed with exhaustion.
Raja nodded and waved Taber inside. “Get some sleep. We’ll deal with Victor tomorrow, when we’re both refreshed from a night’s rest.”
Taber caught sight of the tiger’s mate, Bethany, asleep on the sofa. She must have been waiting for Raja. Shadow and Styx, her guards, sat nearby. Taber tapped Raja’s shoulder and headed to the guest room. He was ready to collapse into bed and catch as much sleep as he could in the few short downtime hours he had. But sleep proved elusive. Thoughts of Kallie crept into his mind, the memory of her sexy voice hardened his shaft instantly. If only she wasn’t a tigress.
After hours of tossing in bed, Taber gave up on sleep. His hard shaft and body demanded he go to Kallie. Rising, he stretched and rolled his head from side to side. He needed coffee and more honey to lift the fog from his brain.
Not wanting to wake Raja and his mate, he quietly stepped to the counter and made a pot of coffee. While the coffee perked, he stood by the counter looking out the window at the snow covered grounds. A thin layer of white powder lay on top of what had fallen yesterday. Before long spring would be upon them and the snow would melt. Alaska didn’t have summers like the continental United States. Winter being the main season here, there was no need for air conditioners. To Taber the colder air made the land even more special—a place he never wanted to leave. This was his home.
The communication device, still in his ear, pierced his hearing. “The activity level is increasing in area four. I can’t raise the guards. Nearest Elder or Elder team member report to area four and advise on the situation.” Kallie’s voice was sharp and held a note of concern.
“Taber, reporting to area four.” He shut off the coffee and ran steady to the door, no longer worrying if he woke Raja and Bethany.
“Raja, reporting as well. Contact Shadow and have her report to duty.”
“Yes, sir.” Kallie responded to Raja through the transmitting system, and then added Shadow to the conversation, explaining the situation. The urgency in her voice tugged at Taber, but his need was trumped by the threat hanging in the air.
Taber fought the temptation to shift. He was faster in bear form, but with no idea of what awaited them, he had to preserve his energy and keep his weapons intact. He normally didn’t carry a gun, but with Victor on site and the danger level spiking with each minute their prisoner drew breath, all guards who knew how to sho
ot were equipped with weapons. Tranquilizer guns were also stored throughout the compound, within quick reach if the situation became out of control.
Taber skidded to a halt as Thomas stumbled out of the cabin where Victor was being held. Thomas’ face was pale and blood dripped from his nose.
“What the hell happened?” Taber held a breath.
“Victor somehow broke through one of the chains. I thought he was still passed out, and I was checking on him when he attacked.” Thomas slipped off his shirt and used it to soak up some of the blood. “He only had one arm free, but he packs a damn punch.”
Taber whipped around him and into the cabin. Korbin was already there, adding more chains to secure the now sedated Victor. Raja entered on Taber’s heels.
“I told Thomas to shift and go to a healer. Marcus is on his way, he’ll take over Thomas’ duty. We need to deal with Victor today. We got lucky this time, next time we might not.” Raja glanced from the prisoner to Taber. “Ty’s gathering the team and we’ll need a plan of action before we take on Victor. I’m tired of putting the clan at risk. We’ll gather the information from Victor one way or another and then…”
Raja didn’t say more. Everyone in the room knew once they had the information they needed from Victor, he was a dead man. They couldn’t allow Victor to roam free again. There were no alternatives. Being a shifter meant no weakness, especially not one in a position of power, like Ty and Raja.
Chapter Three
Taber sat on one of the leather chairs surrounding the conference table. The days of only a few hours of sleep had begun to take its toll on not only him but everyone in the room. Even dividing their resources to have someone working through the extensive information and potential leads night and day, still meant longer hours for him and the Elders. He knew he couldn’t continue down this path of little to no sleep night after night if he was to be ready for an attack. Rest was a must.
The Elders of the Alaskan Tigers—Ty, Tabitha, Raja, and Bethany—sat at the head of the table, the weight of the situation clearly visible in their eyes. The Captain of their Guards, Felix and Shadow, stood on each side of the Elders as they always were. Ty and Raja not only had the clan to think about, but also their mates, and Tabitha had the imposing duty to not only the Alaskan Tigers, but to all tiger shifters. Without her they would cease to exist. She was the Queen of all Tigers.
Though Taber was a Kodiak bear shifter, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be affected if she didn’tt carry out her duty. The Alaskan Tigers and the Kodiak Bears had worked together to bring peace to the region’s shifter population. Without Ty and his clan, Alaska would still be in turmoil. Rumor and lore suggested once Tabitha united tiger shifters, other shifters, and other species, they would band together and there’d be harmony amongst all.
Taber was here not only to repay a debt, but because he valued their friendship. Their fight was his fight, just as he knew he could count on them if things were reversed. Victor was a threat to all shifters. Victor and his father planned to bring Bratva to the states. If that happened, all shifters would be in danger.
“Now that everyone has had their coffee and the fog is lifting from your brains, we can begin.” Ty waved a hand for everyone to be seated. “Regardless of our attempts, Victor has been uncooperative. He keeps repeating the end will be coming for you. Long live Bratva. We know who Bratva is, but the members, besides Victor Senior, are unknown. Connor and Lukas are heading the intelligence team, so if anyone can find the information it’s them.” Ty turned to Connor. “Do you have anything to report at this time?”
“Only that the Bratva is very dangerous. They control all Russian shifters, no matter the species. If you don’t conform to their ways, they’ll send a message by killing someone you love. If all else fails, they won’t hesitate to kill to maintain order. Humans and shifters live in fear of their organization. The Russian citizens only know them as a terrorist group. They don’t realize the Bratva are shifters. Humans are collateral damage to them. They could care less if any humans were injured or killed because of their actions.” Connor placed a picture on the main screen. “This is Victor Senior. The information I gathered leads me to determine his animal has taken over and there’s nothing left to the person who once was.”
“There must be something we can do…to save the Russian shifters?” Bethany stared at Raja.
“Do you want to go to Russia?” Adam lowered is head. “I apologize. I spoke out of line. I only mean it’s unlikely anyone would volunteer to go, and if the Russian shifters are under Bratva’s control already, there’s little we can do.”
“No, we can do something,” Raja said. “Taking Victor Senior out of his position of power might be enough to halt the organization and free the shifters under its control.”
“And how do you plan to do this?” Taber leaned forward in his chair.
“A trap. How else?” Raja raised an eyebrow. “You know the kitty within all of us loves to draw people in. We’ll dangle a string and he’ll come running, that string being his son.”
“You want to bring him to the states? Isn’t that what we’ve been trying to avoid, why we took Victor down before Victor Senior could arrive?” Adam frowned.
Ty stood at the head of the table. “We don’t want him here, and he’d realize it’s a trap. Nevertheless, with any luck we’ll be able to find out more of his plans. We have too much to deal with already. The Russian shifters need to free themselves from his hold if they’re going to survive. We’ll keep a close tab on Bratva and if his followers become a problem for us, they’ll be dealt with.”
“What’s this trap that will help take Victor Senior out of his position within Bratva?” Marcus, Raja’s brother-in-law, asked.
“We’ll send him a video like Pierce sent us when he kidnapped Bethany.”
Taber noticed Raja didn’t mention the other video, the one where Pierce killed Bethany’s family. Everyone in the room was probably already thinking about it. The sadness around Bethany’s eyes and frown engraved on her forehead were clear indications where her thoughts laid.
Ty continued. “Let Victor Senior know we have his son, and if he wants him back, he’ll have to come for him. If he comes, which is doubtful, there’s our chance. We’ll offer him a deal, his son’s life in exchange for information and that he step down from his current position.”
“After all this, we’re going to let Victor live?” Marcus leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, his energy vibrating off him. Marcus was the only other mated male in the room besides the Elders, and he wasn’t just thinking of the clan, but also of his mate Tora, Raja’s sister.
“No, Victor is too much of a threat to us, other shifters, and humans. He’s a rogue and he’ll die, no matter the outcome with Victor Senior. Like I said, it’s a string we’re dangling, playing our cards to win.” Ty stalked the room like a caged tiger. “Back to Victor, Tabitha has a way to get him to release any information he might be withholding.”
Tabitha placed her coffee mug on the table, her gaze sweeping across the room. “Everyone who sits before me knows of the book that will help guide me in uniting the tiger shifters. It has let me know about the healer, Galen who has recently joined our clan, and many other things. The book has provided us a way to gather what we need.” She pulled a small vial from her pocket, holding it between her thumb and forefinger. “This will give us everything we need.”
“How?” Adam leaned forward, his attention on the bottle in her hand. “If you’re supposed to make him drink it, that’s going to be difficult, he hasn’t touched anything we’ve offered him.”
“He doesn’t drink it.” She sat the vial on the table. “I do.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.” Taber’s voice broke the silence. “We can’t risk you, Tabitha.”
“I already had that argument with her.” Ty leaned against the wall looking from his mate to Taber. “It gets worse. Go ahead, Tabby, tell them everything.”
“Once
I drink the liquid, I’ll be able to see everything Victor won’t tell us. I’ll have full access to his mind, his memories, everything.” She lifted her coffee cup, taking a sip before she continued. “I will have the information we need.”
“How?” Felix, the Captain of Tabitha’s Guards spoke up.
“With a touch—”
“There has to be another way!” Taber cut off Tabitha’s explanation, glancing from Tabitha to her mate, Ty.
Tabitha nodded, acknowledging Taber’s concern for her safety. “We’re running out of time. The longer Victor’s here the more danger for everyone. We need to worry about everyone’s safety not just mine. He’s restrained…”
“My Queen, this is too much danger. He broke free from his chain only hours ago.” Felix turned to Ty. “How can you support this?”
“Felix, I understand your concern,” Ty responded. “It’s your duty to protect her, but the guardians of the book wouldn’t put her in danger if there was another way. They wouldn’t give us a guide to the information if it meant her death.” Ty pushed away from the wall and walked toward Tabitha. “I’m not happy about this anymore than the rest of you. Tabitha is my mate, and more than anyone, I want her safe, but there’s no alternative. The room will be full of guards, and Galen and Bethany will be standing by to heal in case anyone is injured.” He touched his mate’s shoulder. “Like Tabby said, the longer he’s here the more danger the clan is in. We need to eliminate one threat so we can focus on Pierce. The longer we wait to take the gang of rogues down, the harder it will become.”
Raja rose from his seat. “Ty, our mates, and I will come up with the best strategy for this plan. Once we have the final details the guards will be notified. In the meantime, we need your help in finding Pierce. He’s our main concern if we’re going to keep our clan safe. I want everyone to focus on locating him, and finding Robin Zimmer. The book has advised us she’s also a key to finding Pierce. Her late husband had dealings with Pierce and might have told her something. She may know where the rogues were held up. We have to find her before the rogues do.” Raja nodded, his signal the meeting and further discussion was over.
Alaskan Tigers Box Set 1 Page 31
